Gas regulator



(No Model.)

' W. T. SUGG.

GAS REGULATOR.

` No. 245,579. Patented Aug. 9,1881.

llllllllll NNI UNITED STATES PATENT rtree.

WILLIAM T. SUGG, F WESTMINSTER, ENGLAND.

GAS- REGULAT R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters' Patent No. 245,579, dated .August9, 1881.

Application filed March 31, 1881. (No model.) Patented in England May 6,1880.

, SUGG, of Vincent Street, in the city ot' Westminster, England, haveinvented certain Im4 provements in Gas-Regulators, of which thefollowing is a specification.

ln the gasregulators at present in use great `inconvenience has beenexperienced from the corrosion of the metals of which they are formed,such corrosion serving to tix the floating part of the regulator andstop its action; and to avoid this so loose a tit has been given to thelioating portion ot' the regulator that a large proportion of gas wasenabled to escape past its periphery.

The object of the present invention is to provide a gas-regulator thatwill not allow the gas to pass through without regulation, its tloatingpart having no tendency to become xed in its cylinder through thecorrosive action of the gas.

The .invention applies, chieiiy, to small regulators attached toburners; and it consists in iitting within a cylindrical chamber in thelower part of the burner afloating gas-holder, composed, by preference,of steatite, which holder will be free to rise and fall according to thevarying pressure of the gas, and by its movements increase or diminishthe supply of gas to the burner.

The invention. admits ot' various modifications, as will be presentlyexplained.

In the accompanying drawings,'Figure ll shows in vertical section, on anenlarged scale, my improved gas-regulator fitted to a flat-llame burner.Below the burner a is a cylindrical chamber, b, in which is fitted, soas to form a lining thereto, an inverted cylindrical vessel of steatite,c, which has a central tubular extension, c', that is closed at top andhas lateral passages c2 for admitting the gas into the neck b of thecasing b.

Fig. 2 is an external view of the lining detached from its chamber orcasin g. The cham.- ber bis closed at bottom by a threaded metallicpiece, d, having a screwed neck which iits into the gas-supply pipe.Within the vessel c, I fit what may be termed a lioating gasholder, c,which is free to rise and fall in the inclosing-vessel without allowinggas to pass between it and the lining c. This gas-holder carries at itsupper end a cylindrical tube, e',

which acts as a check-valve, and is drilled through the center to admitot' adetinitequautity of gas passing up through it.

Fig. 3 shows the gas-holder e with its cylindrical valve e' as detachedfrom the regulator. The tube e', acting as a valve, enters the tubularextension c of the lining c, and it is free to slide up and down thereinas the pressure ot the gas varies. The lateral passages c2 in thetubular extension c allow of the gas which passes up through the valve eescaping into the neck b and so passing oft' by a central opening, b2,at the upper end of the casing to the burner a. When the normal pressureot' the gas is exerted the gas will iiow upward iu the course indicatedto the burner. The action, however, ot' any undue pressure will be tolift the gas-holder and with .it the valve c', which will then partiallyclose the lateral passages c2, and thus diminish the supply. To preventa too sudden rise ot the valve a lateral opening, e2, is made in it tosupply gasto the space in the chamber b above the gas-holderc. Theelasticity of thisimprisoned gas willetlf'ectually prevent the toosudden rise of the valve, which might otherwise have the effect ot'extinguishing the light.

I would remark that by enlarging the diameter of the regulator it may beused for controlling two or more burners; butit is not intended to takethe place ot' those classes of gas-regulators which control the wholesupply of a large establishment.

In some cases I propose to make the gasholder and valve ofnon-oxidizable metal, which will work smoothly and without risk ot'sticking within a steatite lining and valveseat; or I may use anon-oxidizable metallic lining and form the valve-seat ot' the samematerial, using therewith'a gas-holder and valve of steatite, asexplained. The steatite will be shaped in the lathe when inits naturalor comparatively soft state, and it will admit 'ot' being polished andused without further treatment; but in some cases I may ind itconvenient to subject the steatite portions ot' my regulator to furnaceheat, which will greatly increase their hardness and strength.

IOO

I am aware that it has been proposed to employ soapstone or steatite inthe manufacture of valves and valve-seats of the character in which theValve closes against the seat, the function of the material being toresist the Wearing action of hot gases, Snc.v My improvement, on thecontrary, relates to sliding valves operated by a varying pressure ofgas, and the function of the soapstone is to prevent the interferencewith the movement of the valve due to corrosion or oxidization.

I am also aware that a sliding valve having a lateral opening below thevalve-seat has been used in a gas-regulator, but said lateral openingdid not occupy such a relation to the valve-seat, casing, and float asto render it capable of performing the function ot' thelateral openinge'L in my valve.

Having now explained my invention, I wish it to be understood that Iclaim- 1. The combination, in a gas-regulator, of

the outer casing, a tubular valve-scat, c', arranged therein, and havinga lateral openin g, c2, and a tubular valve, c', tted snugly to saidseat, and adapted to be controlled by the pressure of gas, the valve orits seat being composed of steatite, whereby corrosion ot' the surfacesand interference with the sliding movement ofthe valve is prevented, asset forth.

2. lhc combination of the outer casing, the tubular valve-seat c, havinga lateral passage, c2, and the tubular valve e', having beneath thevalve-seat a lateral passage, e2, and float e, as set forth.

London, March 1, 1881.

NVILLIAM T. SUGG.

Witnesses: A

4 H. K. WHITE,

66 Chancery Lane, London. Gr. W. VVESTLEY,

17 Gracechurch Street, London.

